Only I Am A Reader
chapter-376

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"You are done, right? Your Internal Energy fluctuations have finally calmed down."

The voice that came from the other side of the door was none other than Cheon Jeong. Though it was as cheery as ever, there seemed to be a hint of urgency hidden within.

As Leo and Yeon's eyes met in response, they both swallowed back the words that they had considered saying, it wasn't time for that just yet.

"We will open up in a second."

Although Leo estimated that they had stayed inside for months, their transcendent bodies didn't accumulate any sort of sweat or waste, especially when they consumed no food for the entirety of the seclusion period. So, they didn't need to clean up before emerging.

Just as one would expect from the chamber reserved for the Heavenly Demon, it could only be opened from the inside once the door was closed. Even if the Blade Spirit knew the energy sequence key, she could only wait for them to step out.

Swisshhhhh...

"There you are. It has only been 4 months but your faces seem to have grown more mature… Especially Yeon."

"Teacher is exaggerating."

It was too far-fetched to say that Yeon did change. Usually, she would just forget the formalities and stay silent, giving a nod at best, but this time, she easily tapped into the conversation.

"I take it that your endeavor was a success?"

Since neither Leo nor Yeon bothered to cover up their newly enlarged aura, anyone could recognize their ascension to a new stage.

However, that was merely the surface goal and requirement behind this seclusion, what truly mattered was to achieve true succession.

"Yes."

Success was predicted by everyone who could recognize the similarity between the past Society Leader and Yeon, but no one knew how things would truly end. Though Cheon Jeong probably trusted Yeon the most, she did seem more relieved after receiving confirmation.

<Senior Brother.>

On the side, Leo nodded at the end of the hallway where Cheon Chang was leaning against the wall. It looked like he also came by to check on them.

"That's good… I would have really liked to take you both out to celebrate and wash away the rigidness of this seclusion, but we will have to keep that for another time."

The fact that the Blade Spirit had knocked on the door as soon as they finished meant that she had been tightly keeping watch over them for a reason, one that Leo was naturally aware of.

"We all agreed to have a council meeting as soon as you emerge, so let's go."

It might have started with a simple vendetta overtaking, but the ruckus created by Geochin was something that escalated fairly quickly. In reality, Leo would have been more surprised if this sense of urgency wasn't floating about in the air.

The entire Murim was being flipped up and down by the transmigrator's deep sense of change and fighting injustice. So even the usually nonchalant Heavenly Strength Society had to have some sort of reaction to that.

Rushing back to the meeting hall as quickly as when they left it, Leo and Yeon could see that the other members of the council had already converged there after sensing the aura they emitted when they exited the seclusion chamber.

"Ah! Heavenly De- I greet the Society Leader!"

Everyone stepped forward to welcome their new Head, but one old-looking Scarlet Sky Warrior was particularly gratified by Yeon's aura that he almost slipped up and used the old title.

"We greet the Society Leader!"

Although it was now an abandoned practice, the Heavenly Demon was once the direction of the cultists' fanaticism, and the old man's deep bow that almost turned into a full kneel showed Leo a glimpse of what it was like in the past.

When it came to other organizations, even a confirmed process like this would be unnecessarily elongated just to keep the top seat empty for longer. However, the situation around the Society was different, just witnessing Yeon's visage was enough for them to surrender the rule.

There was no coronation ceremony nor a celebration. Yeon had taken her new rule just like that. At most, there would be an announcement that a new head had been appointed later to calm down the hearts of normal Society Members.

Naturally, the Scarlet Sky Council would still have some power as advisors while Yeon slowly transitions and adapts to her position, but that only served to consolidate her position even more.

"Rest… Let's start this meeting by explaining the reason why it's held so urgently."

Perhaps because she had seen many such meetings during the succession process, Yeon didn't seem the slightest bit nervous as she jumped past the greetings into the meeting's initiation with relative ease.

"We are sorry to rush you here without pause, but I'm afraid that it's necessary. After all, the whole Heavenly Strength Society is currently at risk."

Since the two pillars that accompanied them here stayed silent just as the Fist Lord, the one to speak out in Leo and Yeon's direction was the Scarlet Sky Warrior responsible for the Society's intelligence department.

"...Did the Murim Alliance really come forward to attack us while we were down?"

The first speculation that Yeon came to when she heard the warrior's words was what all Sects have been considering after the end of the war, eliminating the unidentified element.

Considering the terrifying strength that the Heavenly Strength Society had exhibited in the war, such a move did make sense, but it was simply too despicable considering the Society's contribution to the safety of Murim!

"That is not the case. Actually…"

Aside from the Sects and Families standing behind the Murim Alliance, there didn't seem to be any other force that could even begin to threaten the Society. After all, the Evil Faction had long been crushed to smithereens by the monsters, so Yeon had no idea who could be behind this.

"Someone has started a rebellion."